Whilst training for an event your health and body can suffer. You place a lot of stress and strain on your body during this time and if you do not look after yourself you can easily get sick or injured.
My top tips for looking after yourself and preventing injuries are simple and easily attainable for anyone.
1.Enter an event that is within an achievable timeframe and distance
Evaluate your fitness level and the time left till the event and map out whether it is achievable
Work out how much time you will have to train according to everything else that is going on in your life – family, work, social, health and other commitments you may have
2.Get enough sleep and go to bed early
This is easier said than done but a minimum of 7 hours is ideally required
Any hour spent sleeping before midnight is much more restorative for your body than any hour spent sleeping after midnight
3.Regularly have appointments with a preventative health care practitioner
Looking after your body’s organs, tissues and muscles is essential to optimum performance
Make sure you reduce your pain by seeing your holistic manual health practitioner
Any niggling muscle tendon or ligament strain you have, rest it and receive treatment
4.Eat the right foods
According to how much you are training and when you are training depends on what you should eat and when
Always make sure you have a protein source with every food you eat
Try and eat fresh not processed foods
Replenish your energy stores post exercise and as soon as possible
Try not to eat an hour before you exercise as your body is busy digesting food and can not perform optimally whilst doing this
5.Drink plenty of water
Drink approximately 1.5 litres of water throughout your day + whatever water consumption you have lost through training. This will change daily and sometimes you even need more water than this
You will need to increase your water consumption a few days prior to the event and before any big training session
6.Stretch
To keep your muscles in great form it is important to do particular stretches to lengthen your muscle span, decrease pain, reduce cramping and help prevent fatigue
Check with your holistic health practitioner the appropriate stretchers for you
7.Increase your magnesium consumption
Eat plenty of plant based foods rich in magnesium
Regularly use magnesium salts in a bath
Massage magnesium creams into your muscles at the end of the day or after each exercise session
This image is of one of my patient’s achieving their goal in completing The Great Ocean Road Marathon whilst struggling through training with injuries and pain. Health Connection Ballarat’s treatments and professional lifestyle health advice helped him complete his goal.